At XP Trust, we believe that education is about building our community and sharing our stories to cultivate a world filled with compassion, equity, and belonging. Recently, our long-standing partners at Right Up Our Street (RUOS) invited us to be part of something truly spectacular: the “We Are Donny” installation. This incredible event is part of the Inside Out Project, a global participatory art movement created by artist JR that unites people through the power of large-scale black and white portrait photography displayed in public spaces.
We are incredibly proud that students from both XP School and XP East were heavily involved in bringing this vision to life. RUOS visited our campuses to photograph our young people, adding their unique faces to a global tapestry that has already united over 600,000 people across 154 countries. Part 2 of this specific project features over 1,000 children, young people, and teachers from across Doncaster. Our students didn’t just step in front of the lens to have their portraits taken; they actively contributed to the physical installation, showing true craftsmanship, quality, and an unwavering commitment to creating beautiful work that matters.
The power of Crew was beautifully evident throughout this entire process. We always say that we are Crew, not passengers, and this ethos naturally extended beyond our school walls as our students rolled up their sleeves and collaborated with Stride Yorkshire, Harrison College, Yorkshire Rose College, and the 71st Doncaster Hunafa Scout Group. Together, this wider community Crew achieved something monumental in a very short space of time, transforming the runway at Doncaster Sheffield Airport into a stunning canvas of public art. It was a profound act of civic participation, demonstrating exactly what happens when we work hard and get smart to do good in the world.
The ripple effect of our students’ beautiful work continues to grow! We are incredibly proud to share that the We Are Donny installation – and the dedication of our community Crew – has been featured in the Yorkshire Post. It is a testament to what happens when young people are empowered to connect with their world and create work that truly matters. You can read the full story right here.
We want to extend our deepest appreciation to Right Up Our Street for continuously providing our students with platforms to elevate their voices and experience learning that connects viscerally to the real world. We also want to shine a light on the incredibly talented David8Photography for capturing amazing behind the scenes photos and videos used as part of this project’s storytelling – thank you for helping us share our student’s stories! When our community comes together with such courage and integrity, we truly see that there is more in us than we know.
